Abstract
They authors treated 62 femoral shaft fractures and 2 subtrochanteric fractures in 64 patients with the Russell-Taylor Intramedullary Nail. Their mean age was 40 years (13 to 83). Fifty femoral nails and 14 reconstruction nails were used during the period from 1991 to 1999.
Six fractures were pathological, 2 fractures resulted in septic non-union, and 2 patients were lost to follow-up. Excluding these 10 fractures, 54 cases were classified by the type of fracture (AO group), the location of the fracture, and type of fixation. In each case, the authors analyzed time to full weight bearing and bone union retrospectively. The time to bone union was evaluated by radiographic findings.
The average time to full weight bearing was 17 weeks (6 to 40 weeks), and the average time to bone union was 19 weeks (8 to 52 weeks). There was not any difference in the type of fracture and the location of the fracture. The average time to bone union of the dynamization group (Static lock) was 26 weeks (12 to 52 weeks), which was the longest, however dynamization by the removal of the locking screw is useful in the case of delayed union.
Two cases early in the series of 54 required insertion of additional distal locking screws postoperatively. Since then, even if the case was a simple fracture, the authors tried to static lock the interlocking nail. Russell-Taylor Intramedullary Nail was very useful for femoral shaft fractures and subtrochanteric fractures in these cases.
